Friendly as it is on dirt, Ford’s SVT Raptor never quite feels at home in the city. Its fat, knobby tires frequently overhang the average-size parking space, and its fuel consumption could be likened to Dean Martin’s scotch intake. The 2014 F-150 Tremor, on the other hand, is most at home around town. And if you can sacrifice half the Raptor’s performance while getting away with 80 percent of its looks, you might want one.

Ford calls the Tremor a sport truck, and while it’s not lowered and spitting V-8 fumes out the side flanks like the last 380-hp Lightning, it’s likely faster in a straight line. The regular-cab Tremor is the shortest F-150 available and comes with a 5.5-foot bed that’s normally reserved for extended-cab models. Coupled with the 365-hp, twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 and a locking rear axle with a 4.10:1 ratio—again, short is the word here—the Tremor might have a fair shot against the Raptor in a race from stoplight to stoplight. But without the hard-core suspension, brakes, and skid plates, you’ll need to actually brake for speed bumps.

Looks are where it counts, though, and the Tremor tacks on the F-150’s $1780 FX Appearance package that includes black 20-inch wheels, black running boards, black hood and side decals, a chrome exhaust tip, and the only floor shifter you’ll find in a single-cab Ford pickup. The black leather bucket seats, also M.I.A. from single-cab models, stuff Alcantara inserts and red piping to match a red-stitched steering wheel and brushed metal trim. The MyFord Touch infotainment system, now with real knobs and buttons, is standard.

Ford is dropping the plush Harley-Davidson Edition F-150 after 2013, and to our eyes, the stubby Tremor is a worthy addition to an already-packed F-series lineup. Pricing won’t be released until the 2014 models reach dealers this fall, by which time John Hennessey probably will have dropped in a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8.